The Old Masters
by razzledazzle41191
Summary: After the gaang reunites with some old friends, Zuko has some reunions of his own. Written right after Boiling Rock, so does not go with cannon anymore. I'm leaving it up here because I still like it.


**This story is based off of what I think will happen in 319, otherwise known as "The Old Masters." This is also partially based on the commercial Nick aired to promote the "Sozin's Comet" movie (there's a link on theavatarportal . org if you haven't seen it). There are spoilers up to Boiling Rock; everything other than that is pure speculation.**

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Toph asked for the hundredth time.

"No Toph, we are not there yet! I will tell you when we get to the rendezvous point!" Sokka shouted back.

Zuko sped up and walked beside Toph. "Do you do that just to annoy him?" he asked with a smile.

She shrugged. "He makes it so easy."

Zuko laughed and looked around their group. Sokka was leading with the map to the rendezvous point that Hakoda had sent them, Suki was next to him, Katara and Aang were walking together behind them (suspiciously close, Zuko noticed), so he and Toph brought up the rear (of the humans, that is- Appa and Momo were actually last in line).

"Seriously, Sokka, we've been walking for hours," Aang complained.

"Hey, I can't control how far away this place is, so don't take it out on me!" Sokka snapped back. Suki placed a hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Maybe we _should_ take a break, set up camp before it gets dark."

Sokka looked at her, looked at the map, and finally looked around the area. "No, I think we're almost here. Let's keep walking for a little while longer."

"That's what he said an hour ago," Katara muttered loud enough for everyone to here. Sokka sighed in defeat.

"Fine, we'll stop here for tonight, and just have to get up early tomorrow."

Everyone plopped onto the ground, exhausted. No one really felt like moving since they had been traveling for so long. Aang was just about to close his eyes and take a bear-cat nap when Toph jumped up and said, "Someone's coming!"

Everyone else shot up too and started looking for the intruder.

"Which way is he coming from, Toph?" asked Aang.

Toph pointed eastward, and everyone's eyes followed her finger. In that direction, there were a lot of hills that gradually built into a huge mountain- plenty of places for someone to hide. To top it off, the kids were in a lower stretch of land.

Katara looked around. "Let's go up the hill and confront him."

The rest nodded their assent to this plan. They were halfway up the hill when a figure popped up, causing everyone to jump back into a fighting stance.

"Well, look who we have here!" Bumi cried out.

Aang, Sokka, and Katara were excited, while Suki, Zuko, and Toph were confused. The three former ran up to hug their old friend, while the three latter stayed behind, slightly awkwardly.

Aang broke out of the hug and said, "Guys, this is King Bumi." Toph and Suki recognized the name, but Zuko, being from the Fire Nation, still didn't really know who he was.

Bumi broke the ice with the others immediately. "I know who these guys are, but who the heck are the rest of you?"

Toph stepped forward first. "Toph Beifong, master earthbender, otherwise known as the Blind Bandit."

"So you're the Blind Bandit, eh? I love going to the Earth Rumble 6. That place is really…rockin!" No one laughed at the king's attempt at humor, but that didn't seem to get him down.

Suki stepped forward next. "My name is Suki, your highness. I'm the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors." Bumi opened his mouth to make another lame joke, but Zuko spoke up to cut him off. "And I'm Zuko, Aang's firebending teacher."

Bumi turned from Suki to Zuko. "Zuko- ex-prince of the Fire Nation, guy who used to try to capture Aang constantly, helped bring down Ba Sing Se- that Zuko?"

Zuko felt his cheeks burn with shame. "Uh, yes, sir." Luckily, Sokka sensed his embarrassment and said, "But Zuko's changed now. He's really helped Aang with firebending, and he even helped free Suki and my dad from the Boiling Rock." Zuko flashed Sokka a thank you smile.

"I was just trying to make sure I had the right Zuko, because there are some people who are really _fired up_ to see you. Get it? Fired up? Because you're a firebender?" he asked as he began to laugh and snort at his own joke. Bumi led the kids up the hills to the mountain, where he earthbended open a wall to reveal a cave. Inside, there were literally hundreds of people. "Our resistance force," Bumi said to answer the unspoken question.

"So we were almost to the rendezvous point!" Sokka gloated. "And you guys wanted to stop." Everyone just rolled their eyes and kept walking. They walked past dozens of people, some of who recognized the group and waved. In a few short minutes, they stopped in front of a tent. "Wait out here," Bumi told them as he entered the tent. The kids heard quiet talking before Bumi came back out with Jeong Jeong.

Again, the original trio's eyes lit up with recognition, and Katara cried out, "Jeong Jeong!" before giving him the Fire Nation bow she had learned. Aang and Sokka bowed as well, glad to see another friend. Aang was about to open his mouth and tell Jeong Jeong how he had finally gotten over his fear of firebending when Bumi pushed Zuko forward. "Here he is, just the man you wanted to see!"

Zuko stumbled before bowing. "It's an honor to meet you, Master Jeong Jeong. My Uncle always spoke very highly of you when he told his war stories."

Jeong Jeong's eyes flashed. "Your uncle? That would be Iroh, correct?"

Zuko nodded and smiled proudly.

"Well don't look so happy about it!" Jeong Jeong barked, making Zuko's smile slide off his face. "You betrayed him and let him rot in jail while you enjoyed all the luxuries of the royal palace. I'd be pretty ashamed of myself if I was in your position."

"Well, I-"

"Do you deny it?" Jeong Jeong asked.

Zuko looked down at his feet, a horrible feeling in his gut. "No, you're right," he said quietly. "I did leave him alone while I was in the palace. It was foolish and wrong, I know." He could feel everyone's eyes on him, and he struggled to bring his own up to look into Jeong Jeong's. "But I'm going to make it up to him. I wanted to free him from his prison on the day of the eclipse, but he did it himself before I could. I don't know where he is now, but when I do find him, believe me, I am going to _beg_ for his forgiveness, and I can only pray that he finds it in his heart to forgive me."

"It has already been done," a quiet, kind voice said behind him.

Zuko turned around. The man was thinner, with combed hair, and in real clothing as opposed to prison rags, but there was no mistaking who it was. "Uncle," he murmured before he gave him the biggest hug he had ever given. Zuko couldn't help it; he started crying as he incoherently tried to apologize with, "I'm so sorry Uncle, please forgive me, I'm sorry I was such an idiot, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

"Hush, my nephew. I know, I _know_. You have long been forgiven," Iroh tried to say. But Zuko just embraced his uncle harder, and Iroh was only too happy to return the favor. Finally, after several minutes, the pair broke apart, with neither one of them trying to hide the fact that he was wiping his eyes.

"Uncle, just how did you escape prison? I went to the tower and the guard said you were like a one-man army! And when did you meet the Masters- the Sun Warrior chief didn't say, and-"

"Hold on, Zuko," Iroh chuckled as he held up a hand. "Those are all riveting tales that I cannot wait to tell. But right now, I think you might want to see someone else a little bit more."

Zuko was doubtful of that. "Who else could I want to see more?"

Iroh just kept smiling and gestured Zuko to follow him. Confused and curious, Zuko trailed after Iroh while the rest of the kids went with Jeong Jeong to discuss war plans. The two walked among many people who were all preparing for battle. Iroh finally found the right tent, and led Zuko inside. The tent was huge, large enough to hold a table with eight or nine people. They too were preparing for the battle, but they seemed to be high-ranked officials. There were several maps spread out on the table, including one of the Fire Nation palace. Zuko recognized Hakoda but no one else; half of the people still had their back to him since he and Iroh had just entered.

"Excuse me, everyone, but if I may borrow one of you for a moment?"

Everyone nodded and smiled, understanding what Zuko did not. He was about to ask what was going on when a woman, who had had her back to Zuko, stood up and turned around. She gave a small, involuntary gasp when she saw Zuko, but love remained in her eyes. It was, in fact, her golden eyes that gave her away to Zuko.

"Mom?" Zuko whispered, hardly daring to believe what he was seeing. Ursa nodded, and for the second time that hour Zuko was reunited with one of the first people who honestly and truly loved him. Like his reunion with Iroh, Zuko's reunion with his mother was tearful and loving. When the pair finally broke apart, Iroh led them outside so that the meeting could continue. They stopped at a secluded area, and Ursa held her son's shoulders to get a good look at him.

"Iroh told me you looked different than when I left, but I never imagined…" she trailed off. She placed her right hand on Zuko's scar before looking into his eyes. "How did it happen?" she asked.

Zuko sighed. "It's a long story, parts of which I'm not proud of."

"I'll let you two be," Iroh, who had been silent all this time, said.

Zuko shook his head. "Please stay, Uncle. I'm not sure I can tell this on my own."

Iroh smiled sadly and nodded. The three sat down in a circle. Zuko sighed again. "Three years ago, I forced Uncle to let me go with him into a war meeting…"


End file.
